Rugby final: Smack defeat Namilyango for third title

Massive victory: Magomu (left) celebrates with Smack players after they defeated eternal rivals Namilyango. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

Kampala. Not even winning the U-15 and U17 Schools titles could console the Namilyango College contingent as they quietly boarded the bus, one by one, back to school.
They had been rightfully beaten by rivals St. Mary’s College Kisubi (Smack) 14-0 in the final, which had pride and victory at stake.

With a lot said prior to the rubber, the kick off whistle was greeted with passion visible in the tackles and collisions which Smack dominated early on. Smack’s Calvin Musoke got the scoreboard ticking with two penalties to lead 6-0 at the break.
Musoke would add another three pointer midway through the second half before his captain Chekie Ahumuza got a try to seal the deal.
Namilyango looked lost and on many occasions did not call the right shots when awarded penalties.

Magomu factor
Smack coach Ivan Magomu knows Namilyango well. He did his Advanced Level education there and won the School’s title as captain against Smack in 2012, the last time the two met in a final. He also loved beating Smack whenever they crossed his path but found himself in the dugout against a school he calls home.

“I told the boys Namilyango will come with big hits to instill fear, so we prepared them mentally and physically. We polished our defence, worked on the speed of line and how to defend pods while being very tactical,” Magomu told Daily Monitor. In the past Namilyango has bullied Smack even when the latter had arguably better sides. But this particular Smack side wasn’t taking any of that.
The hunger with which they played could be mistaken for the kind that Namilyango has come to be known for over the years.